Structural and Morphological Analysis of Cellulose Pulp Produced from the Fractionation of Sawdust Using γ-Valerolactone.

Organic solvents offer promising methods for the fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass. This study investigated the impact of γ-valerolactone (GVL) fractionation on the morphology of cellulose and its internal structure using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The solubilized lignin precipitated on the macrofibril surface as lignin spheres.

Bioethanol potential of Eucalyptus obliqua sawdust using gamma-valerolactone fractionation.

Optimisation of conditions for gamma-valerolactone (GVL) pretreatment of Australian eucalyptus sawdust for high cellulose biomass and bioethanol production was demonstrated. Pretreatment parameters investigated included GVL concentrations of 35-50% w/w, temperatures of 120-180 °C and reaction durations of 0.5-2.